Integration of Princely States: Patel, Junagadh, Hyderabad, Kashmir and PEPSU
How about 565 princely states became part of India: Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon, the Instrument of Accession, the three hard cases, Goa and Sikkim, and Punjab's own union, PEPSU.
Punjab PolicePSSSBPPSCSSCBankState PSCPatwari16 MIN READ
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Sardar Patel (centre) and V. P. Menon with the Maharaja of Cochin, late 1940s. Patel and Menon persuaded the rulers, one by one, to join India. Image: Unknown photographer, late 1940s · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
In 1947 about two-fifths of India's land was not ruled directly by the British. It was split into about 565 princely states, ruled by rajas, maharajas and nawabs. When British rule ended, each ruler could join India or Pakistan. Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon brought almost all of them into India by 1949. In Punjab, eight states formed PEPSU.
~565
Princely states
In 1947
26 Oct 1947
Kashmir accedes
Maharaja Hari Singh
15 July 1948
PEPSU formed
Capital Patiala
13 Sept 1948
Operation Polo
Hyderabad
Princely India in 1947
Hundreds of rulers, one big question.
The princely states accepted British paramountcy: Britain controlled their defence and foreign affairs, and the rulers ran the rest. Some states were huge, like Hyderabad and Kashmir. Many were only a few villages. The Indian Independence Act 1947 ended paramountcy. In theory every ruler was now free to choose.
KEY TERM
Paramountcy
The supreme power of the British Crown over the princely states. The rulers kept their thrones, but could not have their own foreign policy or army against Britain. When paramountcy lapsed in August 1947, it did not pass to India. So each state had to be brought in by agreement.
British paramountcy→Lapses, Aug 1947→Ruler chooses→India or Pakistan
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATES
People inside the states also wanted freedom and elected government. The All India States People's Conference was formed in 1927. Jawaharlal Nehru became its President at the Ludhiana session in 1939. In Punjab's states, the Riasti Praja Mandal movement worked for the same goal.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC JEE 2022 Which of the following is true for All India States People Conference: 1. It was formed in 1927 2. Jawaharlal Nehru became its President in 1939 3. In 1938 Congress while defining its goal for Independence, also included Independence of Princely States 4. It was further endorsed in Congress session at Tripuri (1939) Select the correct answer from the given codes-
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Answer: C — 1, 2, 3 and 4
All four are correct. The Conference began in 1927; Nehru presided over its Ludhiana session in 1939. The Congress said at Haripura (1938) that its goal of independence included the states, and repeated this at Tripuri (1939).
Patel, Menon and the Instrument of Accession
Persuasion first, pressure if needed.
On 5 July 1947 a new States Department was set up. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Home Minister and later Deputy Prime Minister, was in charge. His secretary was V. P. Menon. Lord Mountbatten also urged the rulers to join before 15 August 1947. Almost all of them signed in time.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, 1949. He is called the Iron Man of India for uniting the states. His birthday, 31 October, is kept as National Unity Day. Image: Government of India, 1949 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
HOW A PRINCELY STATE BECAME PART OF INDIA
1947
1. Instrument of Accession
The ruler gives India only defence, external affairs and communications.
↓
2. Standstill Agreement
Old arrangements (railways, post, customs) carry on for now.
↓
3. Merger, 1948–49
Small states join a nearby province or form a union of states (like PEPSU). Some become centrally run areas.
↓
Part B states
4. Constitution, 1950
Unions such as PEPSU become Part B states, headed by a Rajpramukh.
↓
5. Reorganisation, 1956
Part B states end. PEPSU merges into Punjab.
QUICK FACT
Rulers who joined got a yearly Privy Purse and kept some privileges. These were abolished in 1971 by the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police Constable 2021 Which among the following princely states is not a part of India after partition in 1947?
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Answer: D — Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur, a Muslim-majority state west of the new border, acceded to Pakistan. Patiala and Faridkot later joined PEPSU, and so did Kapurthala.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police SI 2021 Which of these princely states became a part of Haryana?
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Answer: D — Loharu State
Little Loharu merged into East Punjab in 1948 and became part of Hisar district. When Haryana was made out of Punjab in 1966, Loharu went with it. Nabha is in Punjab.
The three hard cases
Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir: the most-asked part.
Three states did not join by 15 August 1947. In each, the ruler's choice and the people's wishes pulled in different directions. India solved each one in a different way.
JUNAGADH, HYDERABAD, KASHMIR
Junagadh
Hyderabad
Kashmir
Ruler
Nawab (Muslim)
Nizam (Muslim)
Hari Singh (Hindu)
Most people
Hindu
Hindu
Muslim
Ruler wanted
Pakistan
Independence
To wait
What happened
Plebiscite, Feb 1948
Operation Polo, Sept 1948
Raid, then accession, Oct 1947
Junagadh = plebiscite. Hyderabad = police action. Kashmir = tribal invasion, then Instrument of Accession.
HOW THE THREE CASES ENDED
15 Aug 1947
Junagadh's Nawab chooses Pakistan
Junagadh is a small coastal state in Gujarat, surrounded by Indian territory.
22 Oct 1947
Raiders enter Kashmir
Tribesmen from Pakistan's frontier attack the state.
26 Oct 1947
Kashmir accedes
Hari Singh signs the Instrument of Accession. Indian troops land at Srinagar next day.
Nov 1947
India takes over Junagadh
The Nawab has fled to Pakistan.
20 Feb 1948
Junagadh plebiscite
Of about 1.9 lakh votes, only 91 were for Pakistan.
13–17 Sept 1948
Operation Polo
The Indian Army enters Hyderabad. The Nizam's forces surrender on 17 September.
1 Jan 1949
Ceasefire in Kashmir
A ceasefire arranged through the United Nations ends the first India–Pakistan war.
Rulers in the news, 1947–48
Mir Osman Ali Khan
1886–1967 · Nizam of Hyderabad
Wanted Hyderabad to stay independent
After Operation Polo he became Rajpramukh of Hyderabad State
An armed militia in Hyderabad, led by Qasim Razvi. It tried to stop Hyderabad joining India by force. Operation Polo, also called the Police Action, ended its power in September 1948.
17 September 1948, Secunderabad. Hyderabad's army chief, Maj. Gen. El Edroos, surrenders to Maj. Gen. J. N. Chaudhuri at the end of Operation Polo. Image: Unknown photographer, 1948 · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC WM 2022 Which three Indian States delayed accession to India even after other princely states had joined India?
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Answer: C — Junagarh, Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir
These three were the hold-outs. Travancore had talked of independence but acceded before 15 August 1947; Kapurthala and Udaipur joined without trouble.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC NE 2019 In which of the following States was referendum on accession held ?
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Answer: D — Junagadh
Junagadh held a plebiscite in February 1948, and the vote was almost entirely for India. Hyderabad joined after police action, and Bhopal by agreement in 1949. The same question came in PPSC RO and TA 2019.
Last pieces of the map
French and Portuguese enclaves, and Sikkim.
Some parts of India were held by France and Portugal, not Britain. They joined India later. Sikkim, a protected kingdom in the Himalayas, became a state only in 1975.
French, 1954
Pondicherry
Handed over in 1954; legally Indian from 1962. Chandernagore came earlier, in 1950.
Portuguese, 1961
Goa, Daman, Diu
Freed by Operation Vijay, 19 December 1961. Dadra and Nagar Haveli had broken free in 1954.
1975
Sikkim
Became India's 22nd state after a referendum, by the 36th Amendment.
Joined after 1947.
QUICK FACT
19 December is kept as Goa Liberation Day. Goa became a full state in 1987.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PPSC DDSWO 2023 Match the military activity given in List - I with their military code name given in List - II. List - I: A. Integration of Hyderabad into Indian Union B. Integration of Goa into Indian Union C. Liberation of East Pakistan. List - II: I. Operation Cactus Lily II. Operation Vijay III. Operation Polo. Choose the appropriate code:
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Answer: A — A-III, B-II, C-I
Hyderabad 1948 was Operation Polo, Goa 1961 was Operation Vijay, and 1971 in East Pakistan is linked with Operation Cactus Lily. The name Operation Vijay was used again in Kargil, 1999.
PEPSU: Punjab's union of states
Eight princely states, one state, 1948 to 1956.
East Punjab had many princely states. The Phulkian states (Patiala, Nabha, Jind) were the biggest. In 1948 eight states joined to form the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). Its capital was Patiala. It lasted until 1 November 1956, when it merged into Punjab.
PEPSU is born, 1948
V. P. Menon signs the PEPSU covenant, the agreement that joined the eight states (May 1948).
Ruled by descendants of Chaudhary Phul. Patiala was the largest.
Doaba and Malwa
Kapurthala, Faridkot, Malerkotla
Malerkotla had a Muslim Nawab; Kapurthala and Faridkot had Sikh rulers.
Small states
Nalagarh, Kalsia
Nalagarh lay in the hills; Kalsia near Ambala.
The eight states of PEPSU.
A modern map of PEPSU. Its land lay in separate blocks between East Punjab's districts, because the old states were scattered. Image: Dr. Andreas Birken, 2009 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
PEPSU, 1948 TO 1956
5 May 1948
Covenant signed
The rulers agree to unite.
15 July 1948
PEPSU inaugurated
Sardar Patel swears in Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala as Rajpramukh.
1950
Part B state
Under the new Constitution.
1953
President's Rule
Imposed in PEPSU for about a year.
1 Nov 1956
Merged into Punjab
Under the States Reorganisation Act 1956.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PSSSB Patwari 2023 In 1948, the Princely States of Punjab which included Patiala, Nabha, Malerkotla, Jind, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Nalagarh and Kalsia were combined and a new State of PEPSU was formed. What does PEPSU stand for?
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Answer: D — Patiala and East Punjab States Union
PEPSU = Patiala and East Punjab States Union, formed by eight states in 1948 with Patiala as capital (PPSC DDSWO 2026 asked for its capital).
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police SI 2023 Which of the following Princely states was NOT a part of PEPSU?
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Answer: C — Nurpur
Nurpur, in the Kangra hills, was not a princely state in 1947. Kalsia, Malerkotla and Jind were three of PEPSU's eight states. Punjab Police Constable 2021 asked a similar question with Pathankot as the answer.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PSSSB Excise Inspector 2018 Who was the 'Rajpramukh' of PEPSU at the time of its creation in 1948?
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Answer: A — Yadavindra Singh
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala was Rajpramukh. Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala was his deputy (Uprajpramukh). Election Kanungo 2021 asked the same question.
More PEPSU questions from Punjab examsTap to open
First Chief Minister: Gian Singh Rarewala.
Last Chief Minister: Brish Bhan (1956).
Merged into Punjab: 1 November 1956.
Yadavindra Singh later became a diplomat. He died in 1974 at The Hague, as India's ambassador to the Netherlands.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · PSSSB Clerk 2021 Who among the following was the first Chief Minister of PEPSU?
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Answer: C — Gian Singh Rarewala
Gian Singh Rarewala headed PEPSU's first government. Gopi Chand Bhargava was East Punjab's first Chief Minister, a different state.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police SI 2023 Who among the following was the last Chief Minister of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU)?
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Answer: B — Brish Bhan
Brish Bhan of the Congress was Chief Minister from January 1956 until PEPSU ended on 1 November 1956. Bhim Sen Sachar was a Chief Minister of Punjab.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police SI 2023 In which of the following years was PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union) merged into the State of Punjab?
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Answer: C — 1956
PEPSU merged into Punjab on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act. PPSC APRO 2016, PPSC LO 2015 and PSCB Senior Manager 2021 asked the same fact.
QUICK CHECK
PYQ · Punjab Police SI 2023 When Maharaja Yadavindra Singh died, he was India's ambassador in which of the following countries?
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Answer: B — Netherlands
PEPSU's Rajpramukh died at The Hague on 17 June 1974 while serving as ambassador to the Netherlands. He had earlier been ambassador to Italy.
FLASHCARDS
Quick recall
Minister for the States, 1947
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Secretary, States Department
V. P. Menon
Three subjects in the Instrument of Accession
Defence, external affairs, communications
Junagadh
Plebiscite, 20 Feb 1948
Hyderabad
Operation Polo, Sept 1948
Kashmir
Instrument of Accession, 26 Oct 1947
Goa
Operation Vijay, 19 Dec 1961
Sikkim
22nd state, 1975
PEPSU capital
Patiala
Privy Purses ended
1971, 26th Amendment
Everything on one look
The men, the method, the hard cases and PEPSU.
INDIA
About 565 princely states in 1947
Patel (minister) and V. P. Menon (secretary)
Instrument of Accession: 3 subjects
Junagadh: plebiscite, Feb 1948
Hyderabad: Operation Polo, Sept 1948
Kashmir: accession, 26 Oct 1947
PUNJAB
Bahawalpur went to Pakistan
PEPSU: 8 states, 15 July 1948
Capital Patiala; Rajpramukh Yadavindra Singh
First CM Rarewala; last CM Brish Bhan
Merged into Punjab: 1 Nov 1956
Loharu went to Haryana (via Hisar), 1966
COMMON TRAPS
Patel led the work; V. P. Menon was his secretary, not the minister.
Paramountcy lapsed; it did not pass to India.
Junagadh had a plebiscite; Hyderabad had police action.
Hyderabad's ruler wanted independence, not Pakistan.
Kashmir: Hindu ruler, Muslim-majority people (the reverse of Junagadh).
Kashmir acceded on 26 October 1947, after the raid had begun.
PEPSU had eight states; Nurpur and Pathankot were not among them.
PEPSU merged in 1956, not 1966. 1966 created Haryana.
Privy Purses ended in 1971, not in 1947 or 1950.
QUICK BYTES
Princely states in 1947: about 565
States Department: 5 July 1947
Iron Man of India: Sardar Patel
National Unity Day: 31 October
Statue of Unity: 182 m, Gujarat
AISPC: 1927; Nehru President at Ludhiana, 1939
Instrument of Accession: defence, external affairs, communications
Junagadh plebiscite: 20 February 1948
Kashmir accession: 26 October 1947
Kashmir ceasefire: 1 January 1949
Operation Polo: 13 September 1948
Razakars: Qasim Razvi
Pondicherry: 1954 (de jure 1962)
Goa: Operation Vijay, 19 December 1961
Sikkim: 22nd state, 1975
PEPSU: 15 July 1948, eight states
PEPSU Rajpramukh: Yadavindra Singh
PEPSU merged into Punjab: 1 November 1956
Privy Purses abolished: 1971
CHECK YOURSELF
How were Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir brought into India, and why were they different?
Show answer
In Junagadh a Muslim Nawab chose Pakistan for a Hindu-majority state; after he fled, a plebiscite (Feb 1948) chose India. In Hyderabad the Nizam wanted independence and the Razakars resisted, so India used Operation Polo (Sept 1948). In Kashmir the Hindu Maharaja of a Muslim-majority state hesitated until raiders attacked, then signed the Instrument of Accession (26 Oct 1947).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who integrated the princely states into India?
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as head of the States Department, with V. P. Menon as its secretary. Together they brought almost all of about 565 states into India by 1949, which earned Patel the title Iron Man of India.
What was the Instrument of Accession?
The document by which a ruler joined India. He handed over three subjects, defence, external affairs and communications, and kept the rest at first. Later merger agreements took the states fully into India.
Which princely states did not join India by 15 August 1947?
Junagadh, Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir. Junagadh joined after a plebiscite, Hyderabad after Operation Polo, and Kashmir after its ruler signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947.
What was Operation Polo?
The Indian Army's action in Hyderabad, also called the Police Action, from 13 September 1948. The Nizam's forces surrendered on 17 September 1948 and Hyderabad joined India.
How did Junagadh become part of India?
Its Nawab acceded to Pakistan, though most people were Hindu. India took over the state in November 1947 after he fled, and a plebiscite on 20 February 1948 was almost entirely for India.
When did Jammu and Kashmir accede to India?
On 26 October 1947, when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession after tribal raiders from Pakistan invaded. Indian troops landed at Srinagar the next day. A UN-arranged ceasefire came on 1 January 1949.
What was PEPSU?
The Patiala and East Punjab States Union, formed on 15 July 1948 from eight states: Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Malerkotla, Nalagarh and Kalsia. Its capital was Patiala and it merged into Punjab on 1 November 1956.
Who was the Rajpramukh of PEPSU?
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala, with Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala as his deputy. Gian Singh Rarewala was the first Chief Minister and Brish Bhan the last.
When did Goa, Pondicherry and Sikkim join India?
Pondicherry was handed over by France in 1954 and became legally Indian in 1962. Goa was freed from Portugal by Operation Vijay on 19 December 1961. Sikkim became India's 22nd state in 1975.
What were Privy Purses?
Yearly payments given to former rulers who joined India. They were abolished in 1971 by the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
